A few weeks ago, a Philly-based nonprofit (and my sometimes employer), The Reinvestment Fund launched one of the cooler internet tools in recent memory: PolicyMap. Those interested in public policy, in mapping, or just procrastinating with a cool diversion are going to have to check this out.
Basically, what Policy Map does is bring data and mapping to the masses. Given its place as a lender and public policy research center, TRF has always accumulated all kinds of data. About a year or so ago, they decided that they were going to try and put that data online, in a way that the general public could see it. And from that, and many (many) hours of development, PolicyMap was born. They mapped something like 4000 pieces of data, and then put it online in a format where anyone can map it. And if they got the data free (ie, Census, etc), they give it away for free too.
For policy nerds, this is about as cool as it gets. Check out what you can do in about one minute:
I supported John Edwards earlier in this campaign. When he dropped out, I became a probable Obama supporter. I liked him enough, I was excited about the... excitement, and I think Hillary Clinton, who would make a decent President, is sort of a war monger.
So, I had this whole post written in my head, where I was going to go through the thought process whereby I was picking Obama. There were his positives, his negatives; Clinton's positives, Clinton's negatives. It felt a lot like how I came to weigh all my choices and vote for Philly Mayor Mike Nutter last year. Obama would have my vote and I would root hard for him in the primary, but there was not a whole lot of investment from my perspective.
I supported John Edwards for President. Like many Edwards people, I now am planing on voting for Barack Obama in the potentially important state of Pennsylvania. I think he will be a good president, with a far better foreign policy than HRC. He is inspiring my generation like nothing I have ever seen. I am dreaming of him absolutely crushing John McCain.
But man, I sure am glad Hillary Clinton is slamming Obama on healthcare. Because he deserves it, and none of you appear to be willing to do it. In fact, Obama fans, this post is less directed at Barack Obama than at you. Because the precedent this is setting... ain't good.
Kagro X wrote today at DKos about the Barney Frank Predatory Lending Bill. In his post, like Matt and Duncan earlier, he mainly focused on Yield Spread Premiums, the gross practice where a mortgage broker and a bank split the profit of selling you a higher-cost loan than the one you should have been given.
YSP's are terrible, and recipes for abuse, and Mortgage brokers have played a big role in the foreclosure crisis. That said, a focus only on brokers, and YSP's is not wise. It is not a battle that, even if won, will stop the foreclosure crisis.
Below, I try to explain why Barney Frank's bill is so bad and why a focus solely on brokers is misguided. If you really want to stop the foreclosure crisis in our Country, you are going to have to look behind the curtain and find out who benefits from this bill.
